


lost in the sea

by no_reservations



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Hollywood, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-22
Updated: 2014-05-22
Packaged: 2018-01-26 04:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1674839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/no_reservations/pseuds/no_reservations
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p> </p><p>Living alone in Hollywood can be daunting, especially when the rest of the populace has money to burn. Nothing to do but odd-job your way to the top... or at least to next week.</p><p> </p>
            </blockquote>





	lost in the sea

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based on "Actor Out of Work" by St. Vincent.

 

 

The alarm went off and Zayn groaned to himself, while trying to drown out the sound with one of the many probably seemingly unnecessary pillows on his bed. Not that Zayn would think so, the more comfortable the bed the better, and if that just happened to take more pillows than the standard two most other people thought were sufficient – well, Zayn didn't let that unfortunate lack in judgment bother him.

 

Although, additional pillows or no, they did little to block out the hair-raising screeching of his alarm clock. He had tried other more soothing wake-up sounds, but they just helped him carry on with sleeping that much better. So nails on the wall morning shrieks it was.

 

He groaned again as he did a sideways roll on the bed in an effort to shut it off, but landed on the floor in a tangle of sheets instead. Getting groggily to his feet, he finally hit the off button with more force than strictly necessary. The damning time of 5AM blinked cheerfully back at him. Stupid asscrack-of-the-morning call times.

 

 

Harry was having trouble getting his eyes all the way open. They seemed to be stuck in a half-squint instead. Why did these things always have to start so early in the morning? Especially since the director usually didn't roll in until three hours later.

 

But he really had no right to complain. It was easy money, even if desperately little, especially with the 12+hours it usually meant to earn it. He tried to think less on what the hourly rate then dwindled down to, and more on the fact that even an extra twenty in his pocket would mean the world right now.

 

He grumbled to himself as he squinted at the address again, trying to match it up to what he was seeing on the street. Seemed like he'd been walking from the bus stop for hours, with the houses around him starting to thin out to more industrial buildings, each looking more derelict than the next. Finally at the corner of nothing and a wall, a small handwritten sign pointed him into an abandoned looking factory. Right.

 

Continuing along, he hoped this wasn't the one time he'd end up in the headlines as another tragic victim of some psychotic mass murderer, using the lure of cheap compensation to trap his victims in abandoned warehouses and have his wicked way with them before brutally leaving their body parts hanging off the rafters. Or something like that.

 

Thankfully as he walked passed another building, the sight of movie trailers and gear trucks greeted him, along with the usual apathetic group of extras hunkering down on the pavement. So either this killer was going all out or... okay, Harry's brain was maybe still a little tired, and fabricating terrible horror movie scenarios was apparently its way of coping.

 

A built looking guy with a walky-talky on his belt and a clipboard in his hands stood before the lackluster group of extras, and Harry made a beeline for him, recognizing him for what he was.

 

"Styles, Harry," he announced in way of greeting, and the guy nodded, checking him off the list. "Guess I'll just go wait over there?" Harry nodded towards the others.

 

"That's right," he smiled at him, a little too brightly for this early in the morning. Yet Harry found himself smiling in turn; it never hurt if their AD was easy on the eyes. He snagged a coffee and the last of the sandwich halves baking in the sun from the extra's catering table and sat down on the pavement, watching the boy go on with his work.

 

 

Zayn was thirty minutes late, which was actually pretty punctual for him. Plus these things usually had a staggered arrival time anyways to give hair and make-up a chance to stay afloat. So he was in no hurry as he sauntered through the gates of the old factory. Milk? Beer? It was hard to tell now, but he had to chuckle at the old buildings now housing office space. It really was amazing what they squeezed film studios into these days.

 

A fit looking man was checking in extras, his tight polo shirt leaving little to the imagination as far as his physique was concerned. Yum.

 

"Good morning, name?" the guy asked, giving him a smile before looking down at his chart. Zayn suddenly wished he'd actually bothered to put in his contacts this morning. His hair must look a mess as well.

 

"Malik, Zayn. And yours?" He decided to go for it anyway.

 

The boy laughed while he checked of his name. "Payne, Liam. You can wait over there." He motioned to where the other lost souls were already bracing for another long day of idleness.

 

"Nice to meet you, Liam." He gave him a wink before strolling over to his compatriots, retrieving the cigarette from behind his ear.

 

 

Harry watched the exchange, secretly hoping the boy would come sit down next to him. He didn't, choosing to sit with two girls instead who wasted little time trying to engage him in conversation. One offered him a light and Harry caught him giving her a charming smile in thanks.

 

The boys next to Harry chose that moment to get up and relocate, leaving him sitting awkwardly away from the group. He frowned as he chewed his dried out sandwich and tried to chase it with the thin acidic coffee. But hey, at least it was food, free food, and one less day he'd have to worry about it. One very long day.

 

 

"Alright everyone, come in and sit down on the bleachers," the AD called out, waving towards the hangar doors. "Let's go." He waved at the stragglers, herding them in like cattle. One of the extras had to be woken up, having already passed out on the dried out grass.

 

Harry wandered in behind, in no hurry to be stuck in that stuffy place for the rest of the day. The black haired boy was a little ahead of him, now sans glasses and sporting a hat courtesy of the costume department. Harry tried not to mess with his carefully styled hair, but that was probably a fruitless endeavor. The sight of the two girls still clinging to the boy already had him reaching for it.

 

"Alright, good morning everyone. I'm Liam, your AD for today. Your director is Louis." He looked around, and waved over to a guy wearing some pretty tight pants and a stripy shirt, who was currently intensely discussing something with an older man in a suit. He had producer written all over him. "We're doing an ad spot in the style of a talent show today, and you are our lovely audience. So we're going to be doing a lot of cheering and clapping and waving your arms about and whatnot. The blank screen in front of you is the stage, just pretend it's your favorite band or something."

 

Harry grumbled to himself, nothing like a whole day of pretend enthusiasm to melt your soul. But at least they weren't recording canned laughter.

 

Liam had meanwhile taken to switching around some of the extras to get a better background. He placed the black haired boy between the two girls, much to their delight. Harry was sitting behind them and a little to the side, probably to the point of being off camera. A blond boy was sitting next to him, who looked about as enthusiastic as he felt at this moment. The director was still talking to his employer and his crew, letting his AD handle all the less important details, like extra wrangling.

 

The camera crew was building a track before the covered bleachers, and Harry tried to watch them through the adjusting lights, obviously still not at the optimum blinding glare. The hangar started getting a little hazy, and Harry briefly wondered if he was about to pass out or if it was just a bit of stage fog getting a little out of hand.

 

A few test shots were made and Liam trained them to respond to his signals. Action, cheer, clap, cheer some more, cut. And repeat.

 

"No no no!" The director finally made his appearance before them after checking something out on the control monitor. He had a word with the camera men, who nodded and rechecked the distance between lens and product. "I'm going to need you all to scoot a little closer together, we've got too many gaps." He motioned at them to obey.

 

Harry scooted a little to his left, feeling a little self conscious when his thigh brushed the boy's beside him. The girls before him seemed to have no such hang-ups, all but landing in the black haired boy's lap. They giggled, and he laughed. Harry frowned.

 

They did a few more takes, some getting randomly selected to jump up and cheer, others getting swapped. He could see the producer shaking his head from the sofa while looking at his monitor. He motioned Louis over while they discussed something, and the rest of them waited.

 

Set-up again, action, cheer, cut, repeat. And repeat. There seemed to be some sort of problem with the boy holding the product, and the director and AD scanned the audience for a moment. Harry tried to shrink back into the fray, not really wanting the stress of being a featured extra.

 

Which was of course when Louis pointed straight at him, telling him to replace the boy. He hesitated, hoping he'd been mistaken and that he was really pointing at someone behind him instead.

 

"Yes you, curly, get down here," Louis called out a bit agitated. He called out to some other people as well which Harry didn't catch as he settled down on the ground before the bleachers.

 

The tiny space before the camera was cramped and uncomfortable, and he apologized for every unintentional knock and jostle, though he was pretty sure he still ended up sitting on someones toe. Someone groaned on his left as his knees knocked against the block holding the product. Liam sprang to grab it, but Harry had already caught it before it could fall off.

 

"Thanks," Liam beamed at him, and Harry grinned back, before looking at who was now to his left. It was the black haired boy from before. What were the chances?

 

"Alright curly, hold it in your hand and up to the camera. Don't block it with your fingers. A little higher. Wrist a little straighter. Little more to the left, no your other left. Still blocking it with your fingers." Louis shot him a glare. "Someone show him how to hold it." Liam crouched down to adjust it in his hand, Harry's elbow braced on the block before the camera. "Perfect. Now when the camera tracks in, I want you to hold it up to just that spot, think you can remember?"

 

Harry sighed to himself. There was a reason he didn't want to be a featured extra. Nothing like a hundred extras at your back forced into an endless loop of retakes just because his pinkie was a millimeter too far to the left.

 

They did a few takes, and Louis went to confer with the head honcho again, before returning while nodding to himself.

 

"You next to curly, scoot in closer," Louis instructed, while eyeing the monitor. "Closer... a little more... a little more... "

 

The boy beside him closed what little gap there had been between them, pressing thigh against thigh. Any closer and they'd be in each other's laps.

 

He looked at the black haired boy next to him who seemed unfazed by being forced to squeeze up to a stranger. Harry meanwhile could smell his cologne, blossoming under their combined body heat. The spot lights were doing wonders and he found himself momentarily mesmerized by his face. Damn was that boy pretty.

 

"Any closer and I'll be in your lap," the boy echoed his thoughts back to him and Harry had to chuckle. They were readjusting the lights and camera again as the rest of them waited. "I'm Zayn by the way."

 

"Harry." He gave him his left to shake, too afraid to let go of the product in his right lest he should move a finger incorrectly.

 

"Alright let's go again," Louis called out, and they did another take. "Cut!" he called while frowning at the monitor. "You, the one with the hat." He looked over at Zayn who let out a sigh. "Stop looking at the camera." Harry had to chuckle as he glanced at the boy. "And show a little more enthusiasm. How about you come to place a hand on curly's shoulder and pump your first with the other."

 

Zayn did as he was told and they took another round of takes, with Harry trying to ignore the forced intimacy. The boy was touching and squeezing his shoulder each time, the touch sending a warm tingle down his spine. Their thighs were still touching, rubbing against each other with fake enthusiasm. Harry tried to focus on raising his arm and holding the product up with the correct timing, and not on the unwelcome sparks in his groin.

 

An endless round of retakes and minor adjustments later, his arm was actually starting to tire from the repetitive movement. He lowered it on the block between takes and tried to adjust his position on the floor. His feet had fallen asleep somewhere between take 10 and 35.

 

"You should have shaved your arm," Zayn remarked jokingly while running a finger over what was reflecting in the lights. Harry tried not to shiver at the simple caress, his bicep flexing involuntarily.

 

"Yeah." He tried to laugh it off, hoping his cologne was masking his arousal. It was starting to get so hot, and the boy was so close, and they had been pressed against each other for what seemed like hours, and... Harry groaned as he rested his head against the block, hoping it came off as fatigue.

 

A cool waft of air hit him, and he looked up to find Liam waving a reflector at them. He gave him a smile at his foresight, even though it was probably just to dissipate some of the stage fog that was threatening to engulf them again. The AD smiled back at him.

 

A few more takes and Zayn's right hand had wandered down to brace himself on Harry's thigh as he went to pump his fist at the blank screen. It might just be because he was getting tired of holding the same position, but it was also dangerously close to Harry's cock. Which didn't seem to know the difference between boy pressed close because they were about to have some sweet sex, and boy pressed closed because they were pushing a lame ass product. Harry just hoped his hand wouldn't accidentally land a bit higher. That might get awkward.

 

Just when his hand was starting to shake a bit every time he brought it up to face the camera, Liam finally released them. "We'll pick up in 15, and switch out the front row with the girls," he called out to them; Louis already headed out the door.

 

Harry got to his feet slowly, both due to the numbness in his legs and... something else. Liam came to him and helped to pry the product out of his hand. He had to squeeze his hand open and closed a few times to get his fingers to move again. Meanwhile the rest of the extras had already filtered out the door, and he looked around to find Zayn had been one of them.

 

Stumbling to the bathroom, he splashed some water in his face to cool down a bit, before checking outside to see what was left of their refreshments. He noticed Zayn sitting with those girls again, smoking, and he quickly finished his water and shoved something edible into his mouth before heading back inside.

 

 

"Alright, everyone who was in the front, disperse yourself to the other rows," Liam instructed as they got back to their places, while Louis paced back and forth in the background on his cellphone.

 

Harry shuffled back to his original position at the side, glad to be out of the limelight again. His hand was still aching a bit from that stint of product placement. He tried to scan the crowd inconspicuously, eventually finding Zayn sitting with those girls again a few rows down to his left.

 

Louis finally stormed back on set, tossing his phone to an assistant in passing, before starting to move people around again. In an extra's version of musical chairs a few people first moved down and then back up again, and were switched with a few other people in the process. The final move brought Zayn to sit right beside him. He had to quietly laugh to himself at the fates.

 

"Alright, now move in close again."

 

Zayn scooted over, immediately returning to their unnecessarily close thigh on thigh position. Harry grinned at him, though in reality he wished there was some space to move away. He moved back on the wooden step instead and brought his legs up to brace his arms around. Sitting without back support for so long was a real muscle strain. Zayn was lying down next to him, chilling in the break while the crew went to readjust the readjusted.

 

Suddenly he sat up, and leaned to whisper into Harry's ear, "What if I told you I slept with a guy here. Wanna guess?"

 

Harry glanced at him while his tired brain tried to catch up with his words. His eyes immediately searched out their hunky AD who was supplying them with cups and water. But it couldn't be him right?

 

He let out a somewhat delayed chuckle as he dropped his head between his knees in exhaustion. Who knew not really doing anything all day could be such a drain?

 

"What row?" he finally asked as he raised his head again, deciding to play along.

 

Zayn grinned up at him, having gone back to lying on the bleacher. It made his shirt ride up a little over his stomach, and Harry was trying hard not to let his eyes wander down. "Same row as ours."

 

Harry was slightly relieved it was not Liam, though that thought wasn't a bad one either. He glanced at their row, leaning back a bit to get a better look.

 

Most of them were girls, and he had specified with boy, unless his sleep deprived ears were starting to play tricks on him. There were three, two of them average, and the other the blonde that had sat next to him in the beginning. He raised his eyebrows back at Zayn, who just gave him a smirk.

 

Many retakes and much nitpicking by Louis of the girl holding the product now later – Harry felt a twinge of sympathy for her, though he was also incredibly glad he was no longer in her place – they were back to waiting.

 

"Have you ever had a threesome?" Harry asked him, not really sure where he was going with this.

 

"No, never felt the need. You?" Zayn looked back at him from the floor, eyes half-hidden by his hat.

 

"Yeah, though just with a girl and a boy." He didn't know why he had to add that disclaimer.

 

"How was it?" he asked nonchalantly, as if more interested in passing the time than any real info.

 

"Nice I guess. It was different, more just for the fun of it and less about, you know... " he trailed off before he could finish that with something lame.

 

"Hmm," Zayn noncommittally agreed.

 

Harry looked down at his face mostly hidden by his hat again. These sort of acquaintances were weird. Being forced to spend the entire day together with nothing to do but talk to one another, except for the moments they had to squash together and cheer for something imaginary – all while pretending not to have physical boundaries. Plus at the end of it they'd probably collect their checks and go on their separate ways with nothing but a casual goodbye. Until the next time.

 

A few more takes passed in a blur, until Louis called a stop to it all again, apparently dissatisfied with the girl's nail color. She got whisked away to the makeup trailer and Liam released them for lunch.

 

Zayn was off the bleachers again in a heartbeat, but Harry was on his trail this time. They exited the hangar, and he grabbed a few things from the table before jogging after Zayn, who was already pulling out a smoke.

 

"Hey, can I bum one?" Harry asked him as he stuffed a banana in his pocket for later. He didn't actually smoke, but it looked like the only way to follow him without looking like a lost puppy.

 

"Sure." Zayn handed him one and they walked around the factory for a bit to stretch their legs. They turned a few corners until they got to some of the buildings that hadn't been renovated yet. It was kind of cool, in a creepy abandoned sort of way.

 

They stopped to light up in an alleyway, with Harry cradling the boy's hands to protect the flame. The brief contact ignited another flutter in his stomach, and he used the moment as Zayn lit up to shamelessly stare at him. The boy took his first drag with his eyes closed, pure pleasure on his face, and Harry continued to stare, the cigarette forgotten in his hand.

 

He let it out in a slow exhale and opened his eyes to lock on Harry.

 

Harry quickly brought his smoke back to his lips, to give him something to do besides gape at the boy.

 

The boy took a step towards him, and Harry backed up, hitting the brick wall behind him. Zayn brought his cigarette back to his lips, leaving it dangling there as he stepped up and brazenly went to cup Harry's crotch.

 

Harry might have squeaked a little at the surprise move. He really hadn't seen that one coming.

 

Zayn grinned at him. "I feel like I should make a terrible joke about this right now." He went to retrieve the banana with a jerk, before tossing it carelessly over his shoulder. Taking his cigarette back out with his right, he continued palming Harry's dick with his left.

 

Taking another drag, he leaned in towards Harry's lips, who's parted in anticipation. He blew the smoke over his mouth and Harry inhaled. That probably shouldn't be that hot, but it was. And Harry could feel the subtle burn of it in his lungs.

 

Zayn took another drag, and this time their lips locked as he exhaled, and Harry sucked it in. They broke apart as he let it out, watching the curls of smoke dissipate into the air. Zayn continued to massage him with deft hands, and Harry leaned his head back against the wall, a groan escaping him as his blood rushed eagerly to his cock.

 

The boy tossed his smoke to the ground and extinguished it with his shoe, Harry's having long since tumbled to the floor, before moving to undo his fly.

 

Zayn pulled Harry's pants down half-way, releasing his straining cock to the fresh air. Harry might have been a little embarrassed at how hard he already was, but then again, he'd been on a slow broil all morning.

 

"Hmm," the boy hummed approvingly, stroking along his aching member. "That's quite a dick for a boy like you."

 

Harry didn't know if he should be pleased or insulted, but right now the feeling of a hand on his cock was a little more important. The boy continued to work him, helpfully spreading some of the precome that was already leaking out to facilitate the glide. He moaned as Zayn picked up the pace, and he brought his hands up from his shoulders to the back of his neck to pull in him for another kiss, one for real this time.

 

Their lips met a little heatedly – tongues slipping and sliding against each other, teeth grazing and biting at soft skin – the sensations sending sparks to his nerves, together with the feeling of that tight grip pumping his cock. He pulled him closer, slipping his hands down to get at his dick in turn.

 

He made quick work of Zayn's pants, eager to get his hands on the boy's member. He could feel the heat of his arousal against his skin.

 

Zayn gasped into his mouth as his hands closed around his erection. They jerked each other off together while making out against a wall just a short walk away from a hundred extras and a whole camera crew. It was hot and just a bit naughty, and the thought turned Harry on even more.

 

They continued to kiss and jerk and pump in glorious tandem, until Harry could feel himself getting close. Zayn braced an arm against the wall behind him, coming to nip at his neck as he breathed out, "Not on the clothes." He moved against the wall next to him, and they continued to jerk each other, their arms crossed. Harry had to laugh to himself at the sight that must have made, before glancing at Zayn's face; it was even more beautiful when lost to bliss and passion.

 

That sight was enough to send him over the edge, and he felt himself seizing up, biting into the boy's shoulder as he angled himself carefully away, coming on the pavement instead. The boy came not long after him by Harry's pumping hand, and his breathy pants and moans as his orgasm overtook him were music to Harry's ears.

 

Zayn leaned back against the wall as he caught his breath, before looking at Harry with a throaty chuckled. He pulled two napkins out of his pocket and handed one to him, before cleaning himself off. Pulling his trousers back up, he carefully tugged himself back in before re-zipping. Harry did the same, tossing the napkin into the alleyway and picking his banana back up instead.

 

He unpeeled it while sending Zayn a devilish smirk, and the boy let out a laugh and threw an arm over his shoulders as they walked back to the set.

 

 

The rest of the afternoon went by much as the morning had. Louis kept getting ever more agitated, Liam ever more frazzled, the crew and extras more tired, but somehow they got their shots. Zayn had been moved to another row, and Harry tried not to stare at him instead of the blank screen while he was pretending to cheer.

 

At last the final yell of cut came, and they were released. Standing in line for his check, he looked around in vain for the other boy, but he seemed to have been swallowed up in the throng. Making his way outside, he briefly held out hope he'd be there waiting for him, grinning around a cigarette.

 

But he wasn't. Harry adjusted his bag and steeled himself for the long walk back to the bus stop with thoughts of what he would buy first once the check cleared. A beer sounded good. And maybe some take-out...

 

Hitting the main road, he could just make out four figures walking away from him. Two girls, that blond boy, and someone who had somehow talked the costume girls into keeping the hat. They were still in shouting distance and he was about to call out and run up to catch them when he saw Zayn slipping his arm over the blonde's shoulders.

 

An unexpected pang hit him in the chest at the sight, and he stopped in his tracks as the words died in his throat.

 

He remained where he was standing for a moment, letting them walk on without him. Pulling his crappy cellphone from his bag, he pretended to check messages as he slowly started walking behind them. A new one from his F-list of an agency was waiting for him – extras needed for car spot, next Monday all day, 6AM sharp. Harry had to smile to himself as he clicked to reply.

 

Maybe next time.

 


End file.
